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UWSP hockey returns to nation's elite

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's hockey coach Chris Brooks has led the Pointers to three Division III Frozen Four appearances in his five seasons at the helm.(Photo: Photo courtesy of UW-Stevens Point Athletics)

When Chris Brooks accepted the position of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's hockey coach in the spring of 2011 he had a vision and a plan to resurrect a storied program.

Once the gold standard of Division III hockey with four national championships over a five-year span from 1989-93 and a national runner-up finish in 1992, UWSP had fallen off the national hockey landscape.

No NCAA tournament appearances since a runner-up finish in 1998. No Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles since 2000. Dwindling interest within the Stevens Point community.

Like a pair of defibrillator paddles, Brooks provided a jolt of life into a comatose program.

He immediately turned his attention to improving the level of talent and finding players willing to place winning and team over individual recognition.

More importantly, Brooks brought a vision. An insistence on accountability to the program, teammates, coaches and community.

He demanded attention to detail and doing all of the little things right on and off the ice. Executing the forecheck takes priority over personal agendas. Going to class was just as important as attending practice.

Brooks has served as the architect of a remarkable turnaround that finds UWSP once again firmly entrenched among the Division III elite 25 years after the so-called glory days.

The Pointers will be appearing in their third consecutive Frozen Four when they face SUNY Geneseo in a national semifinal at 3 p,m. Friday in Lake Placid, N.Y. Each of the previous two trips ended in national runner-up finishes.

"It's a great accomplishment for the guys," said Brooks, who is a finalist for the Edward Jeremiah Award, given annually to the Division III men's Coach of the Year. "It has nothing to do with me. I'm just steering the boat. ... They've committed to our culture and expectation of how we play, how we practice and how we act."

Most people might point to all the wins — his Pointers teams are 96-40-10 and counting in nearly five full seasons — or the program's return to the NCAA tournament in 2014 after a 16-year drought as highlights of the revival.

Not Brooks. A stickler for all the minor details, the former Western Michigan standout instead focused on UWSP's ranking nationally in penalty minutes per game.

Only 23 of the 76 Division III teams in the country were less penalized than the Pointers, who average 10.31 minutes a game. Prior to his arrival, UWSP averaged 18.7 penalty minutes a game in 2010-11 which would have made the Pointers the most penalized team in the country this season.

That Brooks chose to focus on a statistic directly related to discipline as a source of pride as any 'W' or All-American speaks volumes as to his priorities as a coach and mentor.

The only missing piece to make the reclamation complete is that elusive fifth national championship trophy. Brooks and his talented collection of dedicated players hope to bring that back with them from New York on Sunday.